is designed for flexible operation in the littoral or “green water” coastal areas.

is further designed to turn 360 degrees in less than eight lengths at top speed and to accelerate to full speed in less than two minutes.

is 377 feet long with a beam of 57 feet.

has amazing speed of 45 to 60 knots, depending on her load.

can operate in less than 20 feet depth of shallow waters.

can be reconfigured for antisubmarine warfare, mine warfare, or surface warfare missions as 40 percent of ship’s space is flexible for this purpose.

can act as a platform for launch and recovery of manned and unmanned vehicles.

has a highly automated engineering plant and water jet propulsion.

has Mk 46 30 millimeter gun system: a two-axis stabilized chain gun that can fire up to 200 rounds per minute. The gun system interfaces a forward-looking infrared sensor, a low light television camera and laser rangefinder with a closed-loop tracking system to optimize accuracy against small, high-speed surface targets.

USS Freedom will be manned by one of two rotational crews, blue and gold.

Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast officially accepted delivery of USS Freedom (LCS 1) on behalf of the Navy from the Lockheed Martin/Marinette Marine/Gibbs and Cox team in Marinette, Wis., on Septemer 18. With acceptance by the Navy, the LCS crew will move aboard and prepare the ship to depart Marinette Marine for Milwaukee, the location of the ship’s commissioning. Read more from U.S.Navy.

Update: November 06

The U.S Navy’s first littoral combat ship (LCS) Freedom will be commissioned on Saturday, November 08, 2008, at 1000 hours EST ceremony at Veterans Park, Milwaukee, Wis. Read more from U.S Navy.

Update: November 07

Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Robert F. Willard discussed the importance of the Navy’s latest addition to its surface forces, the littoral combat ship (LCS). Read more from U.S Navy.

Update: November 09

The USS Freedom (LCS 1) was commissioned on November 08, by Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter, at Milwaukee’s Veterans Park in the presence of nearly 10,000 visitors. Read more from U.S Navy.

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